HiLast year I bought a R1100S for a tour around Europe, I was well pleased with everything about the bike until I got off the ferry on rout home when the starter motor failed. The bike has been stood in the garage ever since.I bought a new battery last week to make a start on fault finding the starter motor problem but have found the bike seized.I've removed the plugs, put it in top gear and pushed it back and forth a tad to try give the motor a little jolt but it's solid.The gear box is free so it's not the shaft as I can see movement on the splines going into the clutch when I put it into gear and try spin the back wheel.I have had bikes for well over forty year and never parked a bike up to find the motor solid even if its been stood a while.Am I missing something blindingly obvious?

You don't mention if you rode the bike home from the ferry and how long it has been stood. I would be very surprised if the motor has seized. Does the rear wheel rotate with the clutch pulled in? Perhaps the starter has jammed in the engaged position?

Thanks for the replies.The bike was ridden into the garage with a suspected starter motor problem.I have removed plugs put the bike into top gear and there is no movement within the motor block.I removed starter motor and from there you can see the gearbox shaft entering the clutch, put the bike into top gear and you can see movement in the shaft but not beyond the clutch. The clutch engages as it should and allows the back wheel to rotate in gear until you drop the clutch then nothing. I have been biking for as long as I can remember and quietly confident with my spanners, but I can't be arsed to have to strip another engine when I'm in the process of two other projects so it's going to the shop.I'm a tad disappointed with the bike as it's got shed loads of potential but if it can't be relied on I'll be going back to the likes of Mr Honda.I thought I'd found a keeper.Will post the shops verdict as I'm at a loss as well as a few other guys out there.

HiThe bike went in to the shop last week and the verdict was carbon build up in the cylinder heads, mainly the right one. The mechanic managed to get the motor to move backwards and on inspection hadn't seen this quite so bad. I have had to bring the bike home as the cost for the repair was going to be the best part of a grand and I could never justify paying that much on a repair. I am from the brigade of biker, poor mans transport not rich mans toy.Any how, there was 1.6mm of carbon build up on the flat edge of the cylinder heads, presumably this has swollen a tad while its been stood stopping the piston hitting TDC, you can tell that it's been compacted. Last night I managed to clean one of the heads and rework the valves as they need attention too. Just about to go into the shed and crack on with number two pot.Thanks to Allen Jeffries for putting me on the right tracks.What has not been solved as yet is to why they got so bad?I'll be taking a close look at the injectors pre engine build.Enjoy, am off t shed.

Well. that was a load of bollocks. I decarboned the heads and pistons, ground the valves in a wile back now then life took over again.

Anyway I've started to put the thing back together, the covers are still off. TDC right side then tighten the camchain sprocket bolt, TDC left side then camchain sprocket bolt.On turning the crank shaft clock wise after a wile the right cam chain tensioner snaps (jolt) then a quater turn more and the thing is solid. Turning the crank anti clockwise the tensioner snaps and turns over 360 before snaping again followed by locking up.Im know having a beer and a chill before getting back on it tomorrow.I don't believe it is a carbon isue but something to do with the right hand cam chain to top end or maybe them little push rod things?

I can’t offer any advise on what happened. Only encouragement to keep on with it as it will be worth it in the end. Second hand parts do come up on eBay for these bikes so that may help keep the cost down. It’s a good thing that you sound okay with the spanners.I have never read about carbon deposits doing this to the 1100S before. I’m just wondering if there is a long time fault somewhere with the fueling?